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Rat control in Alberta

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Albertans have enjoyed living without the menace of rats since 1950, when the provincial rat control program was established. Norway rats are well known to be extremely destructive creatures. The... More ≫

Description

Albertans have enjoyed living without the menace of rats since 1950, when the provincial rat control program was established. Norway rats are well known to be extremely destructive creatures. The economic losses they cause to stored and infield crops, the destruction of property and their effects on human health have been widely documented for decades. This information sheet includes information on how to identify rats and how to recognize their presence. It also includes information on both passive and active measures that can be taken to control rats.

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The history of rat control in Alberta

Description

Norway rats are one of the most destructive creatures known to man. They destroy and contaminate untold quantities of food, and through their tunneling activities, undermine the foundations of... More ≫

Description

Norway rats are one of the most destructive creatures known to man. They destroy and contaminate untold quantities of food, and through their tunneling activities, undermine the foundations of buildings, sewer and water lines, and city streets. Rats also weaken and deface buildings by gnawing holes through floors, walls, insulation and supporting structures. Norway rats carried the flea that spread plague throughout Europe and Asia. Even today, they spread organisms responsible for food poisoning, hepatitis, tularemea and other diseases. Thus, the people of Alberta are extremely fortunate not to have rats. This is not by chance but by design. For the past four decades, Alberta has had a program to keep rats out of the province. This publication describes the evolution, history and current status of the rat control program in Alberta, and discusses factors which contributed to its success.

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Distribution of Ord's kangaroo rats in southeastern Alberta

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Ord's kangaroo rat occurrence in Alberta is well documented for the Middle Sand Hills; however, there was sufficient uncertainty regarding the geographic distribution of this endangered species to... More ≫

Description

Ord's kangaroo rat occurrence in Alberta is well documented for the Middle Sand Hills; however, there was sufficient uncertainty regarding the geographic distribution of this endangered species to warrant specialized surveys in other sand hill areas. Surveys were conducted for kangaroo rats from May through August 2001 in the vicinities of Hilda, Manyberries, and Purple Springs. Discovery of kangaroo rat populations in any of these areas would be significant because it could potentially reduce or refute the apparent geographic isolation of the northern population. One small population of kangaroo rats was discovered in a new vicinity near the Middle Sand Hills, on the south side of the South Saskatchewan River. Despite this single discovery, the surveys reaffirmed that kangaroo rats have a limited geographic distribution in Alberta and are presumably genetically isolated from more southern conspecifics.

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